Can't you just try to aim?

I try to keep a clean house.  It makes me feel good to know my family lives in a safe, healthy environment.  So, like one of my Pinterest pins told me to do, I try to do bit of housework every day.

I am fortunate enough to work part-time, so I have ample time at home each week to get things done.  And, for 2-1/2 blessed hours a week, I even get The.  House.  To.  Myself.  Before the children were school-aged, it took an act of God (or my mother's mercy - whatever you want to call it) for everyone to leave me the fuck alone for an hour of DVRd TV peace.  Now that we are given the opportunity to thrust hand over the children for someone else to deal with for a few hours a day, I can enjoy a cup of coffee without the guilt that I'm not creating some educational Pinterest crap craft with my darling children - because they're not here!!  They're actually being educated somewhere else!  It's a miracle!

The first time I was given my 2-1/2 hours, I had big ideas of using the attachments on the vacuum, cleaning out closets, washing down baseboards, exercising.  But, instead, I drank a cup of coffee and watched Love Story on cable.  And... time was up.

The second week, I was motivated.  I started the laundry early, I cleaned the bathrooms.  I went for a walk.  Around the block.  Then decided it was drizzling raining too hard, so back I went.  For another cup of coffee.  I pinned things to my Pinterest boards, I Facebook-stalked.  And... time was up.

Now my house is starting to suffer.  Because I'm a procrastinator by nature, these hours to myself are doing me no favors.  I was doing a better job keeping up the house when I had no time.

To make me feel even worse, I baby-sat for my cousin's twins this past Saturday.  His house is immaculate.  I have to believe they had just had their white carpeting replaced THAT MORNING or... I'm going to cry myself to sleep.

In my defense (read:  I tell myself so I don't jump off a cliff), their children don't move yet.  They can't possibly play catch in the family room (when they were explicitly told not to) and knock over their uncle's cranberry ginger ale.  Which is red.  All over the cream-colored chair.  Which is cream.  And carpeting.  Which is also cream.  Plus, their twins are still in diapers.  I live with 3 males and a cat.  No one knows how to pee.  In.  The.  Toilet.

It's enough to make you cry.

Instead of screaming all day long and basically being an asshole to everyone I love, I resolve to clean my house today.  Top to bottom.  I can make my carpet look new too!

As a matter of fact, I think I saw a Pinterest pin on that very subject!  I'll just look it up...

And... time is up.  Damn.